CHAPTER XV

SETTLEMENT OF THE MYHEE

IN the year A D 1828, the Raja Gumbheer Singh had struck
the village of Keeree, which belonged to Futteh Singh, the
chief of Roopal Futteh Singh laid a complaint before Major
allies, the British agent at Pahlunpoor,1 who then temporarily
superintended the Myhee Kanta, and that officer, after a time,
decreed that the raja should pay a sum of money for having
plundered the village The sum was much too large, and
hence it became a proverb in Eedur that ' the ant (Keeree)
« lias become an elephant * However, the raja never to the
day of his death paid the money, and the chief of Roopal began
to think of going out in rebellion, or seizing some substantial
hostage from Eedur, in order to procure a ransom for him
Now, Khemchund, one of the Eedur ministers, had a brother
named Ukhcchund, who was a merchant, and about this time
Ukhechund put up for a night at Roopal, on his way home to
Eedur from Pertapgurh, with a valuable investment of piece
goods, opium, and other merchandise, under the protection of
ten matchlock men The chief of Roopal entertained the mer-
chant very attentively, and the next morning sent off the goods
with the escort, and pressed Ukheehund to remain to dinner,
promising to see him safe home to Eedur After dinner he
set off with the merchant, attended by ten horsemen, under
pretence of an. escort, but when he reached a place convenient
for his purpose, he made his guest a prisoner, and carried him
off into the forest The merchant offered to pay any sum that
might be demanded as the price of his liberty, but Futteh
Singh said it was not money he wanted, but a letter to the
minister^ Khemchund, to ensure the payment of the sum
decreed in compensation for Keeree, or at least an arrangement
that nothing should be demanded in the way of tribute from

* Lieutenant Preaoott, and apt Major Miles, appears to have been the
Stiperfntencleiit of Pahlunpoor at the tune of this award,